4 Dental Ninja tricks to an Unbelievably Healthy Mouth

12/03/2018

Yes, your Sharonville dentist masquerades as a ninja at night, a ninja at brushing that is! After all, we see firsthand every day the effects of not brushing or taking good care of your teeth. (And we when ask you how often you brush, we always know when you’re lying.) The good news is a beautiful smile and great dental health are not hard with the right preventative care. Here are 4 dental ninja tricks to having an unbelievably healthy mouth. You’ve got this!

Always Brush Before Bed

Sure, this one seems pretty obvious, but so many people think they’ll just skip this once. The trouble is they end up only brushing 3 times a week if they’re lucky. We understand. So many nights, we finally head to sleep when we’re beat tired, usually after watching too much TV. It seems that the extra effort to brush just isn’t worth it or the work of brushing will wake us back up again, making it harder to sleep.

Here’s a tip: Brush before you feel drowsy. Before you settle down for the Late Show or one last Netflix stream, make sure your teeth are brushed. It gets it out of the way. Then when you are tired, you can just crash.

As you fall asleep with a newly brushed mouth, take a moment to appreciate how clean it feels. Compliment yourself, appreciate that fresh taste in your mouth. Rewarding your brain with positive feelings makes it easier to follow up on healthy behaviors.

Brush Well and Long Enough

Many people who do brush don’t always brush very effectively. It’s important to brush in circular motions along the surface with an average duration of 2 minutes, or about 30 seconds for the top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right portions of our mouths. Keep a timer near your bathroom sink if you have to.

It’s also important to be gentle. You’re not scrubbing the bottom of your bathtub after all. In fact, brushing too roughly can damage your gums and even remove the protective enamel of your teeth. As a general rule, if your mouth hurts after brushing, you’re doing it wrong. You should also purchase a “soft” toothbrush that has the words “soft” at the bottom of the packaging.

Brush Your Tongue or Use a Tongue Scraper

When most people think about oral health, they don’t always think about their tongue. We encourage our Cincinnati patients to always brush the surface of their tongue whenever they brush their teeth. Bacteria will remain on the tongue which can lead to plaque and other infections. Brushing your tongue will also eliminate bad breath.

Don’t Give Up on Flossing

A few years ago, some scientific studies came out that led many to question the importance of flossing. What most overlooked is that while the studies pointed out there was not a direct line of causation that could be proven between not flossing and poor oral health, flossing is nevertheless very important. Just ask your Cincinnati dentist. We see the effects of flossing firsthand. Trust us when we tell you it makes a difference. Flossing regularly can stimulate the gums, reduce plaque and lower inflammation to your gums. It is highly effective at preventing and treating gum disease.